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2 AMUSEMENT TODAY December 2009

The end of the season. In our culture,this transitional period has many mean-ings. Summer bows to fall as MotherNature dresses up once more in allher finery, her forests exploding in afinal burst of autumnal brilliance. Woodsmoke fills the cooling air as the farmerworks to bring in the harvest. And thegeneral public’s attention quickly turnsaway from thrill rides and waterslides, movingwith determination instead toward the upcom-ing holidays and all the rush and madness theyencompass.

But for most amusement park and carnivalfolk (at least those not running year-round oper-ations in Florida and Southern California), thisis their opportunity to finally take a deep breathand a much-needed – and deserved – break.

Their season is finally at an end. The lightshave been turned off; buildings are locked downand secured; and the many rides have beenlovingly disassembled and placed into storage,waiting until they will once more be called upon.Though maintenance and office workers quietlygo about their business in enclosed places mostguests will never see, for the most part every-thing is winding down. A hush drifts over the

park. The midways have been cleand swept and are now quiet savthe rustle of dry leaves skittering weager feet once trod. A lonesome bmoans through the spokes of theFerris wheel while the soaring trof the wooden roller coaster creaksway – a towering giant settling inlong winters sleep.

So all of you who logged those lonsummer days and frantic nights makingothers had a good time, it’s your turn. Puyour feet, light a fire and sit back and relaxis a time of reflection and chance to enjosilence. Instead of watching the sky with aeye in case of rain, it’s time to let Mother Nhave her way. Let the north winds blow ansnow to fly and pile up on window sillpark benches and ticket booths.

Now is the time to gather with familfriends, and to give thanks for the bounty ed by the past year. And finally, it’s time toand to dream of the coming spring when wto do it all over again.

Happy Holidays and best of luck icoming New Year.

Gary Slade

Founder and [email protected]

Subscription rates are: 1 year (14 issues) $50 in the USA; $70 elsewhere; 2(28 issues) $90/$130; 3 years (42 issues) $130/$190. Send check or money(U.S. funds only, drawn on a U.S. bank) to Amusement Today , P.O. Box 5427, Arl

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Amusement Today is an independent newspaper, published monthly by Amus Today Inc., P.O. Box 5427, Arlington, Texas 76005. Presort Standard Postage No. 2069) pre -paid at Fort Worth, Texas. The entire contents of this newspaperrelated Web sites are copyrighted and trademarked by Amusement Today 200all rights reserved.

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(817) 460-7220

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AWARD WINNER1997 • 1999 • 2000 • 2002 • 2004

Contributors: Andrew Mellor, B. Derek Shaw, Janice Witherow

TM

Season’s endScott Rutherford

Rutherford

Theme parks all across the nation, and eventhroughout the world, are now using the Christmasseason as a way to extend their season and keep themomentum rolling that was gained from their suc-cessful Halloween events. The special event seasons have become big busi-ness for the parks. It’s a way to keep the guests com-ing back to the parks for something new and differ-ent than what is offered during the summer months. As the themers continue to grow their Christmasevents with more twinkle lights, more themed liveshow productions and more street entertainment, itsclear that the Christmas season is becoming as im-

portant to the bottom line as Halloween. One parkoperator told AT that their Christmas event actuallysaved their season on numerous occasions, as theywere able to make up a decit in attendance due tospring or summer rains. He commented that guestsmay not always come out during the regular seasonif the weather isn’t 100 percent perfect. That’s not thecase at Christmas, as guests expect to visit the park,knowing it is cold, and after the sun sets there will be a nip in the air. It’s all part of the season. Now we are also seeing parks continue to ndways to open more rides to entertain guests. We arealso seeing holiday-themed lms in the park’s 3Dand 4D theaters. No doubt about it, the parks that take on thechallenge of producing a Christmas event are addinga ‘glow’ or a ‘special charm’ to their park not foundduring its normal operating season. To that, we say job well done, and keep up the great work! Happy Holidays to all.

—Gary Slade

Parks ‘glow’ during holidays


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December 2009 AMUSEMENT TODA

SeeDifference?

THE

CanYou

There are five things different between the two imagesOriginal image Modified image

1 - T h e r i d e o p e r a t o r i s n o w s i t t i n g i n s t e a d o f s t a n d i n g . 2 - T h e r e a r e n e w r i d e r s i n t h e b o a t . 3 - T h e r e i s n o w a “ Y e O l d M i l l ” s i g n o n t h e s i d e o f t h e m i l l b u i l d i n g .

4 - T h e w i s h i n g w e l l i n t h e c e n t e r o f t h e i m a g e i s m i s s i n g . 5 - T h e r e i s n o w a g r e e t i n g c a r d t o a l l t h e r e a d e r s o f A m u s e m e n t T o d a y i n t h e l o w e r r i g h t c o r n e r .Ye Old Mill at the Minnesota State Fair

Now see the difference in your

photography when you buy more than

30 years of experience in amusement

park and waterpark photography

567.283.0231

[email protected]

Compiled by Janice Witherow

Wendy CrainSan Diego Coaster Company

To suggest a candidate for the Two-Minute Dri feature, contact columnist Janice Witherow at [email protected] or (419) 357-3520.

For Wendy Crain, a career in the

amusement industry came as quitea surprise. With a background thatincludes being a shift manager for a fastfood chain, an assistant director for apre-school and a job at a resort hotel,Wendy has found her home at the SanDiego Coaster Company for nearly thelast 20 years and is a perfect t. Herinfectious personality, sincerity andeasygoing spirit make a great impression. A native ofArizona, Wendy is enjoying life in San Diego and adoresher two young grandchildren.

TitleGeneral Manager.

Number of years with San Diego Coaster Company19 wonderful years and counting.

Best thing about the industryI really enjoy the people, industry and guests alike. Whenyou’re surrounded by people who are happy in generalit’s difcult not to appreciate that.

If I wasn’t working in the amusement industry, I would be …A teacher. I really enjoy children.

Favorite amusement park rideI am denitely a traditionalist when it comes to rides. Ican’t help but get a kick out of the historic brass ring car-ousels like the one at the Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz.

Biggest challenge facing our industryAt this moment, I would have to say the economy. Peopleare really uneasy right now, and we have to really pushto ensure that our guests can forget about their worrieswhen they visit our parks.

The thing I like most about the amusement park season is …The hustle and bustle, much like Christmas in the sum-mer. It’s great to be crazy-busy and see your park full ofhappy people.

In one word, my garage is …A DISASTER! Favorite sports teamI would have to say NBA’s Phoenix Suns, but only bymarriage.

Dream carSince we’re dreaming, let’s go with an Aston Martin, anymodel will do.

To me, this is so overratedKeeping up with the “Joneses.”

My superstition is …When you make a wish before blowing out your birth-day candles. You have to blow them all out at once andyou can’t tell anyone your wish or it will not come true.Doesn’t everyone believe this?

The last concert I attended was …Casting Crowns in Phoenix with my lovely sisters.

Three things I always carry in my purse are …Only three? My purse is much like my garage. Top…cell phone, ipod and camera.

Favorite reality TV showOh so many, how can I pick a favorite? Okay, right Survivor.

On my lunch hour, I typically spend time …Talking about TV shows and recent exploits with thegang.

It’s December! When it comes to Christmas trees …white or colored lights?Lots and lots of colored lights.

Favorite holiday traditionSanta hiding presents around the house for the kidsnd.

If I didn’t live in California, I would live in …Phoenix … all of our family lives there.

Proudest momentMy son joining the Navy.

My Web obsession is …Checking out other parks websites. There’s such a vout there and it’s fun to see what everyone is doing their parks.

If I was marooned on a desert island, the one thingwould absolutely have to have with me would be …My husband of course! Who else would do all the and build the re?

Crain


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5/40

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Ingredients2/3 cup (150 mL) unsalted butter1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar1 egg1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose our1/3 cup (75 mL) cocoa powder1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

Icing:3 oz (85 g) chopped white chocolate

Topping

1/3 cup (75 mL) crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Preparation:Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper & set aside.In large bowl, beat butter with brown and granulated sugars until uffy; beatin egg and vanilla.In separate bowl, whisk together our, cocoa powder, baking powder, bakingsoda and salt; stirinto butter mixture in 3 additions. Divide in half; shape into discs. Wrap eachand refrigerate for1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.)Between waxed paper, roll out each disc to scant 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness. Using 4-inch (10 cm) candy canecutter, cut out shapes, rerolling scraps. Place, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on prepared pans; freeze until rm, about 15minutes. Bake in top and bottom thirds of 350°F (180°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, unrm and light brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool on pans on racks for 5 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool complete

Icing: In heatproof bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt white chocolate. Let cool slightly. Using aicing bag or a parchment paper cone, pipe white chocolate stripes over cookies. Immediately sprinkle with candcanes. Let stand until set, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Store layered between waxed paper in airtight container fup to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

PRESENTS ITS 14th annual

HOLIDAY COOKING GUIDE

Yummy Tam and Peach Bake ½ cup packed brown sugar3 tbls our2 tbls margarine½ tsp nutmeg½ cup pecans (chopped)(2) 16 oz. cans (cut) yams (very welldrained)(1) 15 oz. can peach slices (very welldrained)1 ½ cup miniature marshmallows

Combine sugar, our and nutmeg.Cut in the margarine until the mixtureresembles coarse crumbs. Add the nuts.Arrange yams and peaches in 1 ½ quartcasserole dish. Sprinkle with sugar

mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.

Sprinkle with marshmallows. Bake again until lightly browned and“melty”.Remove and let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

6 servings

Patty Chess Pie

This pie is a southern tradition!

1 ½ cups of sugar½ cup of butter1 tablespoon white vinegar1 tablespoon vanilla1 tablespoon cornmeal3 eggs1/8 teaspoon salt

1 unbaked 9” pie shell

Butter should be soft at room tempera-ture. Mix butter with sugar. Add eggyolks one at a time. Place egg whites ina bowl and beat until well mixed. Addegg whites and remaining ingredientsand stir. Pour into an unbaked pieshell. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes andthe top is brown.

Chicken Wing Dip

Carin Brown

Vice President

Aqua Kindoms /MagiQuest

Tara Casey

Director of Marketing

ProSlide Technology In

Patty Beazley

Co-Owner, When

Pigs Fly and Safety

Seminar Director,

AIMS International

1 cup graham cracker crumbs1 cup & 1 tablespoon sugar6 tablespoons butter, melted16 oz. cream cheese, at roomtemperature1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin1 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon each ginger &nutmeg1/8 teaspoon salt2 eggs1 pint sour cream (2 cups)1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix crumbs with 1 tablespoon sugar and themelted butter until blended. Press onto bottom of 8or 9 inch spring form pan; chill. Beat cream cheeseand 3/4 cup sugar until well blended. Beat inpumpkin, spices and salt. Add eggs, one at a time,

beating well after each. Pour into prepared crust.Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes. Remove cake;raise oven temperature to 400. Mix well sour cream,remaining 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla. Spread overlling. Bake 8 minutes. Cool cake on rack. Removesides of pan; chill.

Guaranteed compliments!

PumpkinCheesecake

Sydne

Purvis

Communications

Manager,

Six Flags

Fiesta Texas

1 c. sugar2 tsp. cream of tartar½ c. shortening1 tsp. baking soda2 eggs1 tsp. vanilla½ c. sour milk 3 c. our Filling:1 c. raisins1 c. water½ c. sugar1 T. our

(or try it with your other favorite llings such asapricot or cherry. They’re all great!)

Mix ingredients for dough mixture and refriger-ate for about 2 hours. (NOTE: To sour milk forcookie recipe, mix ½ tablespoon vinegar or lemo

juice to ½ cup milk, let sit for 5 minutes). Combingredients for lling in heavy saucepan and coountil raisins are fully cooked (soft and plump).Roll dough and cut with large round cookie cuttPlace a spoonful of lling on one piece of doughand top with another piece of dough. Crimp edand prick top with a fork. Bake at 350º until edgare brown. Makes approximately 2 dozen cooki

Grandma’s BestFilled Cookies

Jeff

Croushore

Sales &

P.R.

Manager

Idlewild &

Soakzone

Susan Corrigan

Sales Consultant

Wilcor Outdoors

13x9 baking pan3 pieces of chicken breasts1 bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce1 jar of Marie’s Chunky Blue Cheesedressing1 16oz tub of cream cheeseShredded taco w/seasoning cheesePreparation:Cut chicken into small pieces. Put asmall amount of vegetable oil in a panand cook chicken. Drain fully.

Spread cream cheese on the bottomof pan. Spread drained chicken ontop of cream cheese. Add bottle of hotsauce. Add jar of Blue Cheese. Mix to-gether so it looks light orange in color.Sprinkle with shreadded cheese.Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.


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www.AmusementToday.com

INTERNATIONALPARKS ATTRACTIONS RESORTS ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLIERS

BRIEFDreamland Trust

awarded

initial funding

The Dreamland Trustin the U.K., which is plan-ning to create the world’sfirst heritage amusementpark on the sight of theformer Dreamland park inMargate, Kent, has beenawarded developmentfunding of £384,500 (U.S.

$630,500) by the HeritageLottery Fund (HLF). The funding will beused to work up plans tocreate the new park whichamong many other featureswill become home to a widerange of fully operational,historic amusement ridescentred around the Grade IIlisted Scenic Railway ride.The HLF “first round pass”means the trust is now ableto progress to the secondstage of the HLF applica-tion process and now hastwo years to submit more

detailed plans and applyfor the £2.65 million of HLFsupport that it is seekingfor Phase One of the proj-ect, which totals over £12million. This will see the cre-ation of what is beingreferred to as a “thrillingamusement park of historicrides,” many of which arethe last surviving examplesof their type. A significantnumber of these attractionshave already been acquired by the trust and are cur-

rently being stored as theyawait transportation to

Germany’s Europa-Park offers unique winter even With numerous winter attractions,festive decoration and a fascinatingshow program, Germany´s Europa-Park is currently offering plenty of funand entertainment during the cold timeof the year. From Nov. 28, 2009 until Jan.10, 2010 (except Dec. 24-25), Europa-Park presents countless magic momentsin a beautifully decorated landscape. Whether it’s a thrilling spin on theEuro-Mir roller coaster, a trip to thehibernal firmament with Eurosat or aleisurely ride together with the kidsin the Sleigh Ride Snowflake, win-ter at Europa-Park leaves nothing to

be desired. Moreover, many additionalactivities guarantee plenty of action:cutting the corners on children´s ski-

bobs, racing down a snow ramp intubes or turning a sweeping pirouetteon a large ice-skating rink. In between,visitors can enjoy an ice-cooled drinkin the truly frosty ambience of the ice bar “Glaciar”, stroll across the festivelydecorated Christmas Market or enjoy adelicious mulled wine in the Après SkiBar. And children´s eyes sparkle whenthey enter the spacious “Winterworld”and participate in numerous activities.

During the winter season, the canexperience a totally new type of artexhibition in the Mercedes-Benz Hall:“Faith, hope, love – Marc Chagall´s dream

of the Bible” invites all guests to go onan unforgettable voyage of discoverythrough the works of Chagall. One can

not only admire original lithographthe famous artist, but you can actuplunge into his visual world.

Approximately 2,500 beautifdecorated fir trees, sparkling ligand cosy campfires guarantee mmoments at Europa-Park during winter season. And for all those, w just can´t get enough of the fesambience, the four 4-star themed ho– Colosseo, Santa Isabel, El Andaand Castillo Alcazar – offer dreamoments surrounded by a beauambience.

Further information on www.e

papark.de.

4See FUNDS, page 7

Christmas ‘magic’ returns to GardalanAndrew Mellor Amusement Today

Italy’s Gardaland themepark, situated in the north of thecountry close to Lake Garda,will celebrate Christmas andthe New Year in style with thecreation of Gardaland MagicWinter. The transformed park willopen for its winter offering

on December 5 for an inau-gural period of four days,after which it will be openagain during the followingweekend and then continu-ously from December 19 until January 6, with the exceptionof Christmas Day and NewYear’s Day. The park will take on asnow covered landscapeand a truly Christmas theme

with snow dames, princess-es, “zampognari” (musiciansplaying traditional Italianinstruments) Cossacks and, ofcourse, Father Christmas andhis reindeers. Spectacular dec-orations, lights and Christmastrees will complete the effect,along with market stalls andlive entertainment. Also this year, Gardaland’swinter opening will incorpo-

rate a new feature to brate the release on DVDBlu-ray Disc of the aned blockbuster film Ic3 – Dawn of Dinosaurs. Vareas and attractions wthemed on Ice Age ancharacters, who will be ent in the park throughowinter opening period. Guests will be greet4See GARDALAND, p

PHOTOS COURTESY GARDA

Gardaland will be transformed into a themed winter wonderland for its Gardaland Magic Winter opening. Chara

from Ice Age 3 – Dawn of Dinosaurs will feature heavily in Gardaland’s winter opening program.


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FUNDS Continued from page

their new home to bepart of what will be an uand precious collection. Phase One of the pwill also see work beinried out on the Grade II Dreamland Cinema b

ing, with restoration 1930s Modernist façade,guarding the auditoriumCompton Noterman and installing an exhispace to publicize the pr The new park is exed to attract approxim700,000 visits annually. The Trust is also aing an announcement bid for £4 million fromGovernment’s Sea Chscheme, a decision on wis also now imminent.

their arrival by Prezzemolo andthe other artists of Gardalandin the Magic Welcome Show,while making a return will be the Christmas SpectacularShow, a themed musical in theGardaland Theatre.

The same venue will alsohost Winter on Magic, a newillusion, magic and comedyshow, while the Xmas Starswill provide Yuletide enter-tainment in the park’s icerink. Additionally, The MagicWinter show will take place inthe Marionette Theatre, whileMerlin’s Castle will be hometo the Factory of Santa Claus. Extra activities will alsoinclude a temporary ice skat-ing rink, along with the MagicTubby slopes featuring inflat-able boats racing over artificialsnow.

Each day will end with thetraditional Winter Parade, fea-turing all the characters fromGardaland Magic Winter, andthe Winter Ceremony, a musi-

cal send off for guests fro

Ice Age 3 characters, thartistic cast from the parFather Christmas.

GARDALAND Continued from page 6

Skara Sommarland opens S&S built TranaAndrew Mellor

Amusement Today

The first installation of thenew “Free Fly” longitudinallyspinning coaster from S&SWorldwide took place earlierthis year when the Tranan (TheCrane) coaster opened at SkaraSommarland in Sweden. Offering a brand newcoaster concept and experiencefor all the family, Tranan hasproved a big hit with gueststo the park and represents thevenue’s largest ever singleinvestment in its 25 years ofoperation, standing at a cost ofSEK35m (U.S. $5 million). With a total of four, eightpassenger vehicles, riders onTranan are seated in one oftwo, four seater units which

are suspended on either sideof each vehicle on either sideof the track. As the vehiclesmove through the ride and itsdifferent elements, they swingout and, depending on whichpart of the track they are in,move to above or below thetrack. With exposed seating,and featuring a unique airsuspension system to ensurean exceptionally smooth ride,Tranan provides passengerswith a feeling of “flying”

through the air as they travelalong the 500 meters (1,640feet) long track. The highest point of thetrack is 20 meters (65.6 feet)and riders reach a top speed of40 kph (25 mph) as they takein the 90 second experience.Maximum G-force is 2.5 and

Tranan can accommodate upto approximately 900 ridersper hour. “Skara Sommarland waslooking to add a new anddifferent family coaster andwe were pleased to be able tooffer them our new ‘Free Fly’product. We have created a

coaster that is as exciting toride as it is to watch,” saidKevin Rohwer, vice president,sales and marketing for S&SWorldwide, Inc., who alsonoted his appreciation of thepark’s willingness to be thefirst venue to install what is anentirely new coaster concept.

The new Free Fly be themed to suit the prequirements and at Sommarland, a bird them been incorporated to enthe flying style experprovided.

PHOTOS COURTESY S&STranan at Skara Sommarland provides guests with a

totally new coaster experience. The ride is from S&S

Worldwide in Logan, Utah, U.S

ETF Ride Systems detailstwo new dark ride installs ETF Ride Systems recentlyreleased details of two newdark ride applications that wereopened to the general public. First up is the ContiniumDiscovery Center (formal-ly Industrion museum) inKerkrade, Holland. This small-er ride utilizes three ETF track -less Multi Mover vehicles thatguests will encounter beforeentering the actual museumsection. This is a multi media

based ride with 360 degrees2D film presentation, with theevolution of technology as thetopic. The ride begins with thevehicles in the center of the

building. Once the film starts,all the vehicles start movingaround, getting progressivelycloser and then further awayfrom the screen. The vehiclesalso move backwards throughthe ride, which creates a thirddimension as guests movearound synchronized to the

film and sound. This newattractions how the ride can

be adapted at other museumsor used as a small dark ride inparks. ETF’s second dark ride– Motor Mania – debuted asthe Ringwerk at the FormulaOne race track in Nürburgring,Germany. This interactive darkride challenges guests to col-lect parts and build a FormulaOne race car. To collect points,guests shoot at targets withLED targeting systems fromLagotronics. If guests do wellin the final scene, the partsthey collected will be combinedto build a modern Formula Onerace car.

For this ride, ETF deliveredeight trackless Multi Movervehicles, themed like race hel-mets. The unique possibilitiesof these types of trackless vehi-cles are fully utilized, whichmeans the layout has the tracksactually crossing over each andappear to almost collide. Theshow experience is enhanced

by the vehicles spinning andmoving both forward and inreverse. ETF officials are happywith the fact that more andmore dark ride designers andparks understand the optionspossible with using the track-less vehicle applications fornew dark rides.

PHOTO COURTESY EFT

ETF recently delivered this

dark ride to the Formula One

race track in Nurburgring,

Germany. Each of the eight

vehicles are themed to that of

a race helment.


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9/40



AMUSEMENT PARKSFEC ’S ATTRACTIONS RESORTS ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLIERS

BRIEFHollywood Rip Ride Rockit opens at Universal Orland

Intamin Freefall

moving from

Cedar Point to

Knott's in 2010

Cedar Fair officialshave confirmed that CedarPoint's infamous DemonDrop – a first-generationIntamin freefall ride – will be relocated from Ohioto southern California's

Knott's Berry Farm for the2010 season. Originally opened atCedar Point in 1983, DemonDrop stands 131-feet-talland features four-seat vehi-cles that plummet verti-cally ten stories at 55 mph before abruptly sweepinginto a horizontal brakingsection. This dramatic cli-max will be reportedly tem-pered a bit with the turbu-lent friction braking system being replaced by that of asmoother magnetic variety. Knott's sources say

they plan to rebuild the rideon an area currently occu-pied by the S&S Screamin'Swing. This attraction iscurrently slated to be relo-cated to California's GreatAmerica. "We are excited to addthis classic thrill ride toour slate of attractions,"said Marty Keithley, gen-eral manager of Knott'sBerry Farm. "Demon Dropwas one of the first free-fall attractions and pavedthe way for such rides as

Supreme Scream. I thinkguests will find it a greataddition."

Hollywood Rip RideRockit, Universal OrlandoResort’s highly anticipat-ed roller coaster, has finallyopened. The innovative attrac-tion includes first-ever maneu-vers, cutting-edge technology,songs that span across fivegenres of music and a person-alized take-home music videoavailable for purchase. “This is the perfect inter-section of the digital age andtheme park entertainment,”said Mark Woodbury, presi-dent of creative for UniversalParks & Resorts. Supplied by Germany’sMaurer Söhne, the new ridesports a 167-foot-tall verticallift hill and a top speed of 65mph. Riders begin their adven-ture when they slide intothe ergonomic bucket seat ofMaurer’s custom designedX-Cars. The ride sports seventwo-car trains (seating 12 rid-ers each). The X-Car’s wheel- base is short enough to allowfor the tight, intricate maneu-vers that only Hollywood Rip

Ride Rockit delivers. The vehi-cles feature stadium-style seat-ing so that everyone has anunobstructed view. And thereis no over-head/pull-downrestraint system. Instead, arevolutionary lap bar allowsfor unprecedented freedom ofmovement. Additionally, the ride fea-tures the country’s only oper-ating moving roller coasterloading platform – meaningit uses a people-mover-styleconveyer belt to get peopleto their vehicles so that ridersand vehicles never come toa complete stop. This allowsvehicles to leave the stationevery 23 seconds.

Hollywood Rip RideRockit uses ground-break -ing technology to deliver acompletely different experi-ence. Riders use a personaltouchpad mounted on theride vehicles to make theirmusic selection. They choosetheir favorite genre – ClassicRock/Metal, Rap/Hip-Hop,Club/Electronica, Pop/Discoor Country – and then picka song. Each seat is outfittedwith Polk Audio marine-grade

stereo speakers that can pushout 165 watts and allow gueststo rock out to 90 decibels ofmusic - and yet never hear thesongs playing for other riders. Their song is the sound-track to their ride and to amusic video guests can pur-chase that uses 14 cameras tocapture the experience: six onboard each ride vehicle andeight along the track. Thesecameras are designed to pro-vide production-quality foot-

age under intense condiUsed on high-speed tthe digital cameras wilform at ultra-high datature rates for up to 14 hoday – all at variable G-and high speeds. The mixes ride footage, musispecial effects and is avaat the conclusion of theGuests can purchase video in DVD and emaformats to share with 4See UNIVERSAL, pa

AT PHOTOS

Universal Orlando’s new

Rip Ride Rockit features a

vertical drop, above, while

above right, riders enjoy

the airtime found through-

out the ride. At right, both

the station goes high-tech

with moving sidewalks for

speedier load/unload and

the vehicles go high-tech

with an onboard music sys-

tem and LED multi-colored

lights are featured on the

car exteriors.


10/40


ily and friends at Rockit’s des-ignated kiosks or from home

by visiting myuniversalphotos.com. Power gets to each vehi-cle’s cameras and computersvia on-board capacitors thatget freshly charged each timethe vehicle passes through the

load station – similar to how anelectric subway train is pow-ered. And finally – the brainsof the system is a network of

UNIVERSALContinued from page 9

self-checking computers calledprogrammable logic control-lers which constantly check theentire system and synchronizewirelessly. Hollywood Rip RideRockit’s song list features thelatest and the legendary ofthe music world including theBlack Eyed Peas, No Doubt,Kanye West, Evanescence,N.E.R.D., Montgomery Gentry

and Donna Summer. Along with lightingeffects on the vertical lift hill,Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is

the only coaster in the worldwith onboard daytime LEDcolor-changing lights. Each ridevehicle has 36 different lightsthat can be programmed tochange color and to either besteady, strobe, twinkle, race orpulse. That means the coasterwill be an ever-changing lightshow for those on the ground. The actual ride itself isdescribed by riders as being

exceptionally smooth andentertaining. The coaster fea-tures three first-ever maneuversalong its 3,800 feet of track: the

Double Take, the world’s largestnon-inverted loop; the TrebleClef, where trains burst througha building facade on trackshaped like the music symbol;and the Jump Cut, a spiraling,negative-gravity move. “Hollywood Rip RideRockit is where adrenaline,music and technology meet –no two experiences will be thesame,” added Woodbury. “This

roller coaster is a game-chang-ing addition to the remarkableattractions here at UniversalOrlando Resort.”

Busch Tampa Bay

plans new Sesam

Street attraction

Next spring, BGardens Tampa Bay comes families to an all-Sesame Street-themed land. Sesame Street SafaFun will be filled with r

shows and adventures celebrate the spirit of ASesame Street and BGardens unite to creasignature attraction fonowhere else.

Sesame Street SafaFun will include a new juroller coaster designedparents and children totogether. Air Grover wifull of mini-dives and twturns as families soar throthe Sahara. Other kid-srides include Zoe-Patra &Hippos of the Nile, a splflume ride through the fariver; Rosita’s Djembe

Away, a swing ride that skids whirling above African canopy; Elmo’s SGo-Round, a tribal-inspcarousel with Elmo andfriends; and more. OsSwamp Stomp provideswater fun, and Bert & ErWater Hole is a wet adture filled with bubblers,sers, jets, dumping buand more. A photogrstudio gives kids the chto share a hug and a swith Sesame Street frieand musical performa bring tales of adventur

life. The new destinationfamily-friendly advenwill be created where Lanthe Dragons now exists,will double the area’s cusize. “Sesame Street SafaFun will be a fantastic ation to Busch Gardens,”Donnie Mills, Busch Gardexecutive vice presiand general manager. “Sesame Street Safari of Busch Gardens truly something for all ages,this new destination inpark is certain to be a

among families and kids In addition to the and play areas, familieswill be able to watch favorite characters on big screen. “Sesame Spresents Lights, CamImagination!” will run inpark’s 4-D theater, locateTimbuktu. And familiesshare breakfast and lwith Elmo and the rest ocharacters on select days outdoor dining facility cent to Sesame Street SafFun.

C R E AT I V E M A R K E T I N G

J I N G L E S

B R O C H U R E S & A R T W O R K

P H O T O G R A P H Y

I N T E R N E T S O LU T I O N S

P R O M O T I O N S

G R O U P S A L E S T R A I N I N G

& M O R E !

C R E AT I V E M A R K E T I N G

J I N G L E S

B R O C H U R E S & A R T W O R K

P H O T O G R A P H Y

I N T E R N E T S O LU T I O N S

P R O M O T I O N S

G R O U P S A L E S T R A I N I N G

& M O R E !

1428 Maple Ave. • Hamilton, OH 45011 • 513.737.9012 • www.TheBigIdeaPeople.com


11/40

December 2009 AMUSEMENT TODAY

SeaWorld San Diegocelebrates Skytower’s 40th On the morning of Oct.21, 2009, SeaWorld San Diegocelebrated the 40th anniver-sary of its popular Skytowerattraction. Standing 320 feetover the park, the Skytowergives visitors the best view

of Mission Bay, downtownand Coronado and has gonethrough several makeoversthrough the years.

The Skytower opened in1969 with Pacific SouthwestAirlines as the sponsor.American Airlines has alsosponsored the Skytower inprevious years.

During the holiday seasonthe Skytower transforms intothe landmark Holiday Tree ofLights with 2,022 25-watt light bulbs. The five miles of wirecontain 24 strands of light bulbs with 81 bulbs per strandand takes technicians fourdays to install. The SeaWorldSkytower has been used by

airline pilots to navigate intoLindbergh Field and can beseen by ships 12 miles out tosea.

Japan’s Sansei Yusokioriginally supplied the towerand double-decked passen-

ger capsule. The newest cap-sule, added in 2005, was alsomade by Sansei Yosokim andinstalled by Progressive Steel.

PHOTO COURTESY SEAWORLD

SeaWorld San Diego’s

Skytower ride celebrated

its 40th anniversary in

October. It stands 320 feet

tall.

NEWSFREE

EVERY DAY Sign up at


EXTRA! EXTRA!YOUR DESKTOP EDITION!

Wonderland’s Tornado

gets paint, new colors

The Texas Tornado doubleloop coaster at WonderlandPark has received a new coatof paint and colors. The ridenow sports blue track, redloops and a white supportstructure. Oklahoma-basedMillion Painting used 225 galons of DuPont Imron paint tcomplete the painting in fou

weeks. The lift hill will alsobe outfitted with tracing LED

lights.PHOTO COURTESY WONDERLAND


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Parks roll out the cider, shows and lights for holidayPam Sherborne Amusement Today

Just as Amusement Today was going to print with thisDecember issue, parks all

across the nation were put-ting the finishing touches onthe decorations for their finalthemed season of the year,Christmas. Here is a look atwhat a few of nation’s parksare doing this holiday season:

Disneyland Resort,Anaheim, Calif.

Guests will know it’sChristmas at Disney’sCalifornia Adventure at theentrance, where the eight-foot tall letters that spell outCalifornia to resemble a post-card have been redecoratedfrom their usual golden metal-lic tinge to look like candycanes.

The decor is the mainattraction at Disney’sCalifornia Adventure, but atDisneyland Resort, guests cansee a 60-foot-tall Christmastree decorated with thou-sands of lights on MainStreet USA and watch a dailyChristmas parade, said JohnMcClintock, senior publicist atDisneyland.

Christmas activities begana week earlier this year, on

Nov. 13, and go through theNew Year. Sleeping Beauty’s Castleis transformed into SleepingBeauty’s Winter Castle, thecenterpiece of a show that begins every evening afterdark. “The show takes place insegments,” McClintock said.“There will be music andlights that will travel downMain Street illuminating the buildings, all the way downMain Street USA and finishingat the Christmas tree. Then it

concludes with our holidayfireworks show.” The Christmas paradeusually takes place twice aday, one in the afternoon andonce in the evening.

A couple of Disneyland’srides, including the famousIt’s a Small World, also arerethemed to suit the holidays.The nations included in theride are redecorated for theholidays and holiday songssuch as “Jingle Bells” and“Deck the Halls” are mixed in

with the ride’s famous themesong.

The Haunted Mansionfrom Tim Burton’s TheNightmare Before Christmas , based on the Disney movie,gives park officials the oppor-tunity to mix Halloween andChristmas.

“It becomes the haunt-ed holiday mansion,”McClintock said. “This over-dressing begins with the cel-ebration of Halloween. Thecharacters from Tim Burton’sA Nightmare Before Christmas appear throughout theHaunted Mansion in quite anextensive overdressing of thatholiday attraction.”

At Disney’s CaliforniaAdventure, Christmas is cel-ebrated with a little redeco-rating. That park is goingthrough a major expansionnow, McClintock said. “There are a number ofconstruction walls up,” hesaid. “But all the major attrac-tions will still be operating.”Park Hopper tickets forDisneyland and Disney’sCalifornia Adventure cost $97for ages 10 and up and $87 forages 3 through 9, McClintocksaid.

Once school lets out, atten-dance really picks up. “We’ve never had aChristmas at Disneylandwhere the holidays were notcelebrated,” McClintock said.“The times when school is outare among the busiest timesduring the holiday.”

Dollywood’s SmokyMountain Christmas,Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

When Dollywood officials

launched Smoky MountainChristmas in 1990, the tour-ist area surrounding Pigeon

Forge, Tenn., had grown quietduring that time of year. That’s not the case near-ly 20 years later, as PigeonForge and the nearby townsof Gatlinburg and Seviervillehave gotten into the act withWinterfest, a celebration thatgoes hand in hand with theone at the amusement park. “Now all three cities haveChristmas lighting and dis-plays,” said Pete Owens, pub-lic relations manager for theDollywood companies. “Itextended this area’s tourismseason to what was an October-

ending market because of theleaves – this is a big leaf-view-er area – to the end of the year.Now Dollywood operates intoearly January so we can pro-vide that Smoky MountainChristmas experience.” In Dollywood proper, aSmoky Mountain Christmasmeans four million lights illu-minating the amusement park,seven holiday shows and alighted Christmas parade.

“It’s an all-encompassingholiday experience for fami-lies,” Owens said. “We have

targeted family and we haveshows from a living nativ-ity to large production showsto “Dollywood’s Babes inToyland,” which features acast of 20 performances anda fully-orchestrated musicalscore, as well as the park’ssignature show, “Christmasin the Smokies,” which fea-tures a 12-member cast and aseven-piece band performingholiday songs.

Dates for both thoseshows range from Nov. 12 to

Jan. 2, but the entire SmokyMountain Christmas eventtakes place from Nov. 7 to Jan.2. Both the event andthe shows are popular. InSeptember, during Amusement

Today’s 2009 Golden TicketAwards ceremony heldin September at LegolandCalifornia, Dollywood tookhome its first trophy for BestShows and also won for BestChristmas Event.

The event has been goodfor business, Owens said.Dollywood’s season startedout as Memorial to Labor days,extended through October. “Now we’re able toextend our season two moremonths, which is significantin our industry,” Owens said.

“Now the Dollywood seasonis extended into early January.It allows families that are vaca-tion or taking that holiday intoearly January.” He estimates that the extrashoulder season brings in anadditional 350,000 to 400,000patrons a year to the park. All rides except the waterrides operate during the eventas long as the temperaturestands at 40 degrees or above,Owens said. “Of course, even if it doesget colder, we have an indoorcoaster, Blazing Fury,” Owens

said. “And a traditional favor-ite is The Polar Express 4-DExperience, which offers aChristmas-related experiencein a 4-D motion simulator.

Other shows include“Twas the Night BeforeChristmas,” an 1980s era showfeaturing carols and Christmasmusic; “An Appalachian

Christmas,” a mountain mperformance; Kingdom Christmas, a gospel showa lighted Christmas ponce a night during the and twice on weekends. Admission costs $

for ages 12-59, $42.45 fo4 to 11 and $50.30 for citizens.

Hersheypark ChristmCandylane, Hershey,

A theme park in HePa. doesn’t have to fakeFrost nipping at theirtomers’ noses – it alcan get a little wintry dthe Hersheypark ChriCandylane celebration,mostly on long week between Nov. 16 and De Still, the event runs

30 of its 65 rides, but nothe roller coasters or attractions. “We have primarilyily and children’s ridesat Christmas,” said lic relations manager KBurrows.

The park is transfointo a holiday village, plete with one million and Santa and nine livedeer.“We have a lot of shopare decorated seasonBurrows said. Costumed chara

such as Mr. Hershey BaHershey Kiss and Ms. get into the act by doSanta hats and matchingtens and scarves, and seappropriate characters su Jingles the Christmas Mand Mr. and Mrs. Frostywalk around and greet g

PHOTO COURTESY DISNEYLAND

Disneyland’s famous It’s A Small World ride is transformed

into a winter wonderland during the holiday season. It is

just one of several rides that take on an Christmas look

for the holiday.

PHOTO COURTESY DOLLYW

Dollywood goes all out in decorating the Tenn. th

for the Christmas holidays. This also marked the se

year in a row the park has won Amusement Today’s Go

Ticket Award for Best Christmas Event.

4See HOLIDAYS, pa


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HOLIDAYSContinued from page 13

New this year will be achoreographed light showfeaturing 127,000 bulbs danc-ing around to high-energyChristmas music.

“We own Dutch

Wonderland (in Lancaster,Pa.), and last year, one of theemployees came up with theidea of a light show choreo-graphed to music,” Burrowssaid. “It was an amazing suc-cess, so we decided to do ourown. Everything we do, wewant to appeal to families –all ages – as much as possible,so we thought this would beperfect.” The 50-foot-tall KissmasTree featuring ornaments inthe shape of Hershey Kisseswill be included in the dis-play.

“We’ve had that for afew years,” Burrow said. “Wethought this was a good timeto incorporate it into anotherlight show so it will be evenmore spectacular.” For a separate fee ($20 percar) guests can drive throughthe 2.3-mile “Hershey SweetLights” attraction, whichfeatures nearly 600 illumi-nated and animated displays.Otherwise, HersheyparkChristmas Candylane costs$10.95 for ages 3 and up. On Dec. 6 and 7, “Holiday

with Dickens” will be pre-sented at The Hotel Hershey,giving guests the opportunityto see Charles Dickens’ clas-sic tale, “A Christmas Carol,”performed by Gerald CharlesDickens, the great-great-grandson of the author, dur-ing an afternoon English teaor at dinner.

At Hershey Lodge,guests can attend a holidaydinner theater performanceof “Christmas in ChocolateTown: A Holiday DinnerMusical.” The seasonal revue

is celebrating its 10th anni-versary this year and features both traditional holiday musicand newer tunes.

Hersheypark has heldChristmas Candylane for 25years now and park officialshave found that the event islike any other season – depen-dent on Mother Nature, whichdelivered a rainy summer tothe northeast in 2009. “It’s very profitable if theweather is good,” she said.“But if the weather is bad,

the crowds don’t come out.People like to go outdoors ifthe weather is decent.”

Knott’s Berry Farm’sKnott’s Merry Christmas,

Buena Park, Calif. Knott’s Berry Farm hasthe perfect name to brand end-of-the-year holidays. “Berry”

rhymes with both “scary” and“merry,” providing the way tocapitalize on both Halloweenand Christmas. Add in the Peanuts gang– Knott’s Berry Farm hashad a long-time relationshipwith Charles M. Schulz – andKnott’s Merry Farm also canincorporate one of the coun-try’s most beloved Christmastelevision specials in the sea-son.

“We opened Camp Snoopyin 1983,” said Jennifer Blazey,senior publicist for the park.“It became the first area of anyamusement park designed forkids under 12 and it was allthemed toward the Peanutscharacters.” Knott’s Berry Farm takesadvantage of that beginningwith “A Peanuts HolidayParade,” which kicks offThanksgiving Day with thecharacters Charlie Brown,Lucy, Linus, Sally, Schroederand Snoopy in tow.

“You’ll see Lucy cookingand we have Charlie Browndecorating a tree and Snoopyriding a sleigh,” Blazey said.

“Each float has one of thecharacters as its focus.” Guests also will be able tosee a musical performed in the2,100-seat Charles M. SchulzTheatre called “Snoopy’s CoolChristmas.” “Snoopy is the main focusand we have professional skat-ers, dazzling costumes andtraditional music with somecontemporary too.” In the Camp Snoopy sec-tion of Knott’s Berry Farm,“Winter Wonderland” featuresthe Peanuts characters again

on a smaller stage. Then, everyevening, “Snoopy’s CalicoChristmas Tree Lighting” takesplace in Calico Square, featur-ing characters dressed up asSnoopy, Lucy, Linus, Sally andCharlie Brown hosting a song-and-dance show that featurescarolers and a sing-along. Another giant tree has awalk-through base that allowsguests to see a little Christmasscene. All shows are free withthe price of admission, which

costs $42.99 for adults and$23.99 for children and seniorcitizens 62 and older.

All rides will be openduring the event and one isrethemed for Knott’s MerryChristmas. The TimberMountain Log Ride becomesElf Mountain Christmas andsets up a scene of Santa and

his elves getting ready forChristmas.

Knotts Merry Farm willnot include any new featuresthis year, Blazey said.

“We’re bringing back stuffthat has been really success-ful for us,” she said. “There isnothing brand new this year.”

Legoland California’sHolly Jolly Holidays

Carlsbad, Calif. Legoland’s Christmasholiday started off in prop-er fashion a few days afterThanksgiving, with ToriSpelling and her husband,Dean McDermott, on hand tolight a 30-foot tall Christmastree made out of 245,000 forestgreen Lego bricks and adornedwith Lego ornaments.

Legoland has been cel-ebrating Christmas almostsince its 1999 opening, said Julie Estrada, media relationsspecialist for the Carlsbad,Calif. park. “We have more entertain-ers this year and more of thetheme park transforming intoa holiday wonderland feel,”

Estrada said. “We’ll have moredecorations and every week-end we will have carolers andelves hand out candy caneswhen you walk in.” Miniland USA, an area ofthe park that utilizes about24 million Lego bricks to cre-ate scenes from around theworld including Las Vegas,New York, New Orleans andSouthern California, all will be decked out with Christmasscenes as well, Estrada said.

“During the holidays,we’ll have a Lego display of

Santa and his reindeer, a sev-en-foot display that’s life sizeso kids can get in there andpose with him,” Estrada said. The Washington, D.C.scene will show Santa landingon top of the White House.“It’s a cute scene,” Estradasaid. “He has his hands in theair and the Secret Service arepointing their guns at him.” A new show this year,“Let It Snow,” presented bythe Playtown Theater, willopen the weekend of Nov. 27

and run through Christmas.“It’s a holiday show abouta 10-year-old girl, Emily,”Estrada said. “She wishes forholiday magic and her toysspring to life to help her real-ize her yuletide wish.” That would be for it tosnow in Southern California.Because it doesn’t really snowin Southern California, thepark’s 60 rides, shows andattractions also will be up andoperating. Spelling and McDermott,star of the Oxygen networkreality show “Tori and Dean:Home Sweet Hollywood,”will appear with San Diego- based kids’ musical group the Jumpitz, who have made acouple of appearances on theOxygen show.

“They are going to be per-forming at the tree lightingand at our kids New Year’sEve event as well,” Estradasaid. “That’s become really

popular.” The Dec. 31 event starts at3 p.m. and ends at 6 p.m. witha brick drop at 6 p.m. insteadof midnight. “Kids can comeout and celebrate but theydon’t have to stay up untilmidnight,” Estrada said. Admission costs $65for adults and $55. For anextra $10, guests can get a“park hopper” ticket and alsovisit the adjacent LegolandCalifornia Sea Life Aquarium. Estrada declined to giveout attendance numbers but

said it usually grows from oneyear to the next.“We have lots of guests

that come back each year tosee what we’ve done,” shesaid. “We’ve been bigger and better and attendance usuallyreflects that.”

Schlitterbahn’sHill Country ChristmasNew Braunfels, Texas

Last year to celebrate theTexas-based waterpark’s 30thanniversary, park officials

decided to introduce aevent: Schlitterbahn’s Country Christmas.

And why not? Withperatures often reachingthe 70s and even somethe 80s in the foothillsSan Antonio, guests experience the wonder Christmas season withoaccompanying chills. That means Schlitteis converted from a wpark to a bright and fholiday playground comwith one and one-half mwhite lights, playing oarea’s German heritage. This year’s SchlitterbHill Country Christmasplace from Nov. 20 th Jan. 3, filling the parkguests during the off-seas Schlitterbahn otherwopen from mid-April toSeptember.

“We had 238 on-site rthat were empty,” said J

Siebert, director of corpcommunications and “We have a beautiful parwe’re in a beautiful part country – hill country in terms. We wanted to ethis and bring it to lifeway that only Schlittecould do.” Although the waterides do not open foChristmas event, guest bring their bathing suitpartake of a giant hotthemed the Winter WassaTub. Otherwise, it’s c

on for all other attracincluding a large alpineand a giant outdoor skrink. Park officials will usechillers to convert a lainto an ice rink.

“As far as we knowgoing to be the largest ouskating rink in Texas,” Ssaid. “The thing we tothat it’s real ice. We with a company in Miaanybody knows ice, it’

PHOTO COURTESY SCHLITTER

Following the huge success of its first-ever Chrisevent, Schlitterbahn is back for its second year. Sh

ice skating and twinkle lights are just part of the fun

Texas waterpark as to offer.

4See HOLIDAYS, pa


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HOLIDAYSContinued from page 14

friends in Miami.” That’s important, becausewith temperatures going upto 80 sometimes, the ice needshelp remaining chilled.

Guests can bring theirown skates or they can rent

them for $10.“It’s fun to watch Texans

try to ice skate,” Siebert said.When guests enter the

park, they will see a forestof Christmas trees feature700,000 clear lights. In addi-tion to the sights, they alsocan see two live performances:“Scrooge’s House,” a versionof “A Christmas Carol,” and anew production for this year,“Home for the Holidays.” Siebert classifies the otherthree shows as “illuminat-ed spectaculars,” including“Christmas Reflections,” fea-turing lighted trees on bargeson the nearby Comal River. “It took off last year somuch that we are doublingit,” Siebert said, noting that sixChristmas trees would flashlights in synchronized cho-reography to contemporaryChristmas music by such art-ists as Mariah Carey and theTrans-Siberian Orchestra.

The other two illuminat-ed shows include “HolidayIllumination,” using 30stacked Christmas trees onthree different levels to create

one giant tree; and new thisyear, “The Greatest Story EverTold,” a light show that fea-tures a narrative on the birthof Christ. Other than buying foodor merchandise or rentingskates, everything is free forthe admission price of $17.99for ages 13 and up and $15.99for 12 and under and over55. Many of last year’s guestswere not the regular visitorsor had not been in severalyears. “It definitely helps the

brand fully, having folks visitin the winter,” Siebert said.“We took advantage of com-municating our event to letthem know, ‘Hey, we’re doinga new Christmas event.’ It wasvery well-received by the com-munity, and this year, we’re billing it as ‘Bigger, Better andBrighter.’”

Silver Dollar City’sAn Old Time Christmas

Branson, Mo.Silver Dollar City’s An Old

Time Christmas started out asa way to attract guests to theBranson, Mo. area during the

off season to a celebration thatencompasses the entire town,said Brad Schroeder, directorof entertainment and events. “When we first started it,the town pretty much closedup at the end of October,”he said. “We approached theownership and said, ‘What doyou think about a Christmasevent?’ They said, ‘The roadsare windy and nobody willdrive here.’ We did about50,000 that year and now it’sup to 350,000. It’s one of thoseideas that worked.” Silver Dollar City’s

Christmas event is one of sixfestivals held throughout theyear and that’s the approachmanagement takes to the cel-ebration. This year’s eventtakes place Nov. 7 throughDec. 30, Thursdays throughSundays through Dec. 20 plusWednesday, Nov. 25 and thendaily from Dec. 26-30. “Quite honestly, it feelslike a whole other sea-son for us,” Schroeder said.“Everything changes. Ourhours of operation changefrom predominately daytime

to afternoon and evening. Thefood changes to seasonal fare.Clothes change and there arelights everywhere.” About four million lightsdecorate the property. “These 350,000 people,the things they talk about arethe lights and the shows,” hesaid. “We’re gratified that theshows are mentioned right upthere.” The shows are live and pre-dominately music-based, fit-ting in with what tourists have

come to expect from Branson.The premiere Christmas showis called “A Dickens Christmas

Carol,” a musical adaptationof “A Christmas Carol” thatopened in 2003. “We opened it then withthe expectation that it wouldrun three years,” Schroedersaid. “Now we’re in yearnumber seven. The customerswon’t let us close it down. It’sturned into one of those familytraditions, liking going to seethe lighting of the Christmastree in Rockefeller Center.” Once adults pay $54.81 toget through the gate ($44.06for ages 4 to 11 and $52.66for senior citizens 62 and

up), everything but food andmerchandise is free. “All theshows are part of the admis-sion price,” Schroeder said.

They can see a five-storyChristmas tree with a millionlights in the park’s city square,which is the focal point for theholiday display. “There is a light andsound show every 15 min-utes, a computerized light andsound show, with computer-ized music playing.” A parade with lightedfloats and themed characters

such as a dancing snowflakeand a fairy princess goesthrough the city square twicean evening, Schroeder said. All rides that are not water based run during the event aswell.

“If it involves water, thoserides are closed. But most ofthe rides are operating.”

Universal Orlando Resort,Orlando, Fla.

An amusement park thathas an archive of movie brands

– including the holiday-appro-priate “How the Grinch StoleChristmas – has easy access tosome festive fun for guests. At Islands of Adventure,producers were able to keyoff Universal Studios’ 2000film based on the Dr. Seussclassic to create “Grinchmas,”a live stage show featuring

an original musical score byMannheim Steamroller.

“We offer unique enter-tainment at Universal,”said Michael Roddy, man-ager of show development.“We try to find things thatare based on memories. Wego out and search for a part-ner, and one of the biggestones was the Grinch. We havehad the opportunity to workwith Universal Pictures and bring the Grinch character tolife. That grew and grew to become a tradition, and thenwe partnered with MannheimSteamroller. Over at sister parkUniversal Studios, a seven-year-old partnership withMacy’s has resulted in a dailyparade, the Macy’s HolidayParade, based on the famousMacy’s Thanksgiving DayParade and using some ofthe same giant balloons thatare packed up and shippedto Florida following the NewYork City event.

“These balloons gothrough our New York back-lot and we create the Macy’s

Thanksgiving Day Parade,”Roddy said. “And we have a30-foot tree, and Santa Clausis there and some high-kickdancers.” The parade will take placedaily, and three of them will

be followed up with conOn Dec. 5, opening dUniversal Orlando Reholiday event, MannSteamroller will perfoconcert at Music Plaza, aoutdoor venue at UnivStudios.

Following the Deparade, Chris Isaak wil

form, and then Nataliewill present a holiday cofollowing the Dec. 19 pa

“We tried to find very diverse artists,” Rsaid. “When you think Natalie Cole, you think Nat “King” Cole, who the original standard Christmas Song.’ If younect the dots, it doesnmore fun and Christmasthat.” Admission for both costs $99.99 and the conare free.

Back at IslandsAdventure, the “Grtheme will be carried oother ways, including hcharacters dressed up aWhos of Whoville. “The Whos are all decorations,” Roddy “The Whos like Christmathey are these workerwhose main motivation ioration on top of decoraIf you stand still, they mdecorate you.” In addition to the 3tall Christmas tree liat the end of each M

Holiday Parade, other decorate the parks. lights the large tree afteparade, “and it kind of and goes with the timithe music, and then it snRoddy said.

PHOTO COURTESY SILVER DOLLAR CITY

Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas dazzles with the

acclaimed five-story special effects Christmas tree and an

encompassing light-and-sound show at the park. The fes-

tival includes the production A Dickens’ Christmas Carol,

a Holiday Light Parade, the interactive kids’ show Frosty,

and over 4 million lights.

PHOTO COURTESYUNIVERSAL

ORLANDO

“Grinchmas”

a live stage

show featur-

ing an original

musical score

by Mannheim

Steamroller

is just one

of the manyChristmas-

themed shows

found at the

Universal

Orlando Resort

this holiday

season.


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Parks shine under the twinkle lights for ChristmaTim Baldwin

Amusement Today

Christmas is a specialtime for families around theglobe. Unlike any other holi-

day, the joy and celebrationof Christmas carries on far beyond just a day, but creates alengthy season of happy mem-ories. Theme parks around theworld have explored enter-taining guests during thisspecial time of year. Below,Amusement Today continuesour park tour of Christmasevents.

Europa-ParkRust, Germany

Across the Atlantic,Europa-Park has produced awonderful product, not just

for the residents of Germany, but for all of Europe. RolandMack, managing partner forEuropa-Park says, “The atmo-sphere is definitely some-thing that´s very special aboutEuropa-Park in winter. I justlove the beautiful Christmasdecorations and the sparklinglights, especially when it´s get-ting dark in the evening.

“But what I like most isthat we are able to offer somany activities for all the fam-ily! After all, at Christmasthe whole family wants to be

together.” Mack adds, “As apark owner I am very fortu-nate to see all those familieshaving fun together at Europa-Park.” A wintery ride on Euro-Mir or one of the park’s othercoasters is only the begin-ning. Guests can race downa snow ramp in tubes or ice-skate on a large rink. There iseven a Children’s Ski Schoolwhere young ones can begina first skiing experience. Forthe adults among the group,frosty beverages are availablein the sub-zero temperatures

at Glaciar, an ice bar. The GlobeTheatre delights guests with“The Christmas Miracle,” oneof several shows performeddaily. The largest theme parkin Germany also boasts four4-star themed hotels. Duringthe winter, the hotels are deco-rated festively for the season.

Walt Disney World ResortOrlando, Fla.

On the east coast, Walt

Disney World in Orlando,Florida has special attractionsand events throughout theseason. Mickey’s Very MerryChristmas Party is a sepa-rately ticketed event at MagicKingdom held on select daysthroughout November andDecember. This special partyfeatures “Mickey’s Once Upona Christmastime Parade,” theCastle Dream Lights, an exclu-sive fireworks production of“Holiday Wishes: Celebrate

the Season,” complimentarycookies and cocoa, a snow fallon Main Street, and many ofthe park’s popular attractionsare offered. The special eventruns from 7:00 p.m. to mid-night. Epcot carries on the tra-dition of Holidays Aroundthe World. The CandlelightProcessional is a special holi-day thrill held nightly at theAmerican Gardens Theatre.The story of Christmas isstirringly retold with a spe-cial celebrity narrator for theevening, accompanied by a

50-piece orchestra and masschoir. Disney’s HollywoodStudios saw the return of TheOsborne Family Spectacle ofDancing Lights on November10 and it will continue through January 4. Millions of glitter-ing lights are perfectly syn-chronized to holiday music.The magnitude of the displayis hard to take in as Disney blankets entire buildings insheets of multi-colored lights.

Twirling carousels, angelsreindeer and more comple-ment the display.

Six Flags Over TexasHoliday in the Park

Arlington, Texas For the 25th year in arow, Six Flags Over Texas(Arlington, Texas) will illumi-nate their parachute ride into a17-story Christmas tree duringHoliday in the Park. New forthe festival this year is Santa

Land. Guests can board thepark’s steam train and journeyto Santa Land along with car-olers. Once inside, little onescan visit with Santa, see theworkshop, and there is a spe-cial gift shop where they can buy gifts for mom and dad.“It’s a full experience,” saysSharon Parker, public rela-tions manager for Six FlagsOver Texas. Also new for the holidayevent this year is the HolidayTree of Trees. Located in SixFlags’ star mall, the new56-foot tree, made up of trees

within the tree, offers guestsa light show synchronized tomusic throughout the night.

Six Flags Fiesta TexasSan Antonio, Texas

and Six FlagsDiscovery Kingdom

Vallejo, Calif.Holiday in the Park

Sister parks Six Flags FiestaTexas and Six Flags DiscoveryKingdom return for a thirdyear with their own Holiday

in the Park festivals. In SanAntonio, the snow hill (a treatfor southern Texans) is allnew. Plus, the park showcases“The Majesty of Christmas,”an elaborate production writ-ten for Six Flags by the makersof The Promise. In addition toamazing costuming, a largecast of both singers and ani-

mals, and flying angels, camel is led through the ence as part of the show.

In California, DiscKingdom presents hoversions of their sea-life swith dolphins, sea lions killer whale. The park hadoubled the size of theirmountain.

PHOTO COURTESY EUROPA-PARK

Europa-Park’s Euro-Mir spinning coaster gets all dressed

out for the Christmas season. It is just one of several thrillsawaiting guests during the holidays.

PHOTO COURTESY WALT DISNEY W

It’s everyone’s Christmas wish as fireworks set the nigh

aglow with festive cheer during Mickey’s Very Merry ChriParty in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

PHOTO COURTESY SIX FLAGS OVER T

Six Flags Over Texas is always a sea of color at nthanks to its 17-story Christmas Tree made of lights

the park’s parachute ride. Holiday in the Park enjoy

25th year this Christmas season.


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WATERPARKSAQUATIC CENTERS INDOOR FACILITIES RESORTS SUPPLIERSREVENUE

Attendees came from 22 countries

Solid attendance helps drive successful WWA shoWWA educational

programs for

2010 announced

The WWA announcedits return to San Antonio,Texas on Oct 6-10, 2010,for the 30th anniversaryWWA Symposium andTrade Show. Complete withincredible waterparks, out-standing food and the pic-turesque River Walk, SanAntonio, Texas has been afavorite convention site forWWA members for years.

The association willalso produce three regionaleducation events in 2010. •January 27 & 28,WWA heads to Chicago fora special regional sympo-sium held in conjunctionwith the Illinois Associationof Park Districts and theIllinois Park and RecreationAssociation’s annual con-ference at the ChicagoHilton. More than 4,500Illinois park and recreation

professionals and studentsare expected to attend theIAPD/IPRA conferencefeaturing 200 educationalsessions and 300 exhibi-tors.

•March 2 & 3, the 5thAnnual WWA EuropeanSymposium will take placeat The Alpamare Resort inBavaria, Bad Tölz, Germany.Long considered an institu-tion and trendsetter in theindustry, The Alpamare hashosted more than 14 millionguests since it opened in1970. The distinctive water-park and spa resort offersattendees an inside look at

BRIEF

4See WWA, page 22

It was one of the mostchallenging years the water-park industry has ever seen.Parks across the U.S. felt thecombined impact of the econ-omy and the 34th coolest sum-mer on record.

Despite the difficultseason, industry regularsand many first-time attend-ees made the 29th AnnualWorld Waterpark AssociationSymposium & Trade Show at

Disney’s Coronado SpringsResort a great success.“While many association

trade shows have acceptedenormous decreases in atten-dance this year, we wereaggressive in going after newfaces to increase first timeattendees and drive tradeshow floor traffic,” said RickRoot, WWA President. “We’repleased to report attendanceat the 2009 Disney showmatched last year’s show inLas Vegas.”

A prosperous trade show

“As a whole, the tradeshow industry has reportedsignificant drops in floor spaceand number of exhibitors,”reported Root. “Our strongsupplier participation resultedin more paid booths on the2009 trade show floor than ourlast trade show at Disney.”

“We really had a fantasticshow this year. Not only didit exceed our expectations, Iwould have to say it was oneof the best WWA shows wehave had in years—more pur-chase planning on the floor,”

said Darren Schauff, F.A.S.T.Corporation. “All in all we were quitepleased with the outcome of

the WWA Show. The qualityof the leads obtained exceededour expectations. The showproved that projects continueto be developing, albeit slowly,and that there are active plansfor park expansions and newprojects,” said David Kiem,Aquatic Development Group. “WWA has a strong fol-lowing and lots of supportfrom its members. It’s alwaysgreat to see that in full swing.

Touching base with all of theexhibitors and consistentlyhearing that the show was asuccess was a real pleasure.A big thank you to every-one!” said Patty Miller, direc-tor of tradeshow and supplierrelations, World WaterparkAssociation. The WWA welcomedmany new exhibitors to itstrade show floor, hosting 342 booths in the 100,000 squarefoot exhibit hall. “As a first-time exhibitor we were pleas-antly surprised and impressed by the quality and quan-

tity of attendees,” said DanGundrum, eProfit Solutions,LLC.

“The show generated apositive feeling amongst theexhibitors and attendees. Inspite of our current economicclimate…there was an air ofoptimism at the WWA Show.It exceeded our expectations!”said Rob Lawson, LawsonAquatics. “Everybody was so help-ful and open to listening tonew ideas. With such a goodmix on the trade show floor,

we feel that we addressed allour needs,” said Jim Hale,Dynamic Waters, LLC.

4See SHOW, page 23

WWA P

Attendees listen to Simon T. Bailey speak at his se

“Igniting Brilliance in Times of Change” during the W

Symposium.

WWA P

Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course played host to one of W

most popular events, the Annual Golf Tournament.


20/40


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21/40


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Cologne, GermaTerme, Slovenia Spa World, Japan

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22/40


World Waterpark Association

2009 Wave Review Winners During its 29th Annual Symposium & Trade Show held recly in Orlando, Fla. the World Waterpark Association named its 2Wave Review award winners. The winners are listed by categorythen by park attendance, see key below. •Winner, up to 100,000 annual attendance •Winner, 100,000 to 250,000 annual attendance •Winner, 250,000 annual attendance and up

Billboard winners•King’s Pointe Waterpark Resort, Storm Lake, Iowa•Splash in the Boro Family Waterpark, Statesboro, Ga.•Hyland Hills Water World, Federal Heights, Colo.

Brochure winners•Wet Zone Waterpark, Rowlett, Texas•Waterworld Waterpark, Ayia Napa, Cyprus•Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool, U.K.

Direct mail winners•DryTown Waterpark, Palmdale, Calif.•Ocean Breeze Waterpark, Virginia Beach, Va.•Hyland Hills Water World, Federal Heights, Colo.

Email campaign winners•Splash Kingdom Family Waterpark, Canton, Texas•Nashville Shores, Hermitage, Tenn.•Wild Wadi Waterpark, Dubai, U.A.E.

In-park promotion winners•Surf and Swim, Garland, Texas•Shipwreck Island Waterpark at Adventure Landing, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.•Hyland Hills Water World, Federal Heights, Colo.

Poster winners•Splash Kingdom Family Waterpark, Canton, Texas•Shipwreck Island Waterpark at Adventure Landing, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.•Roaring Springs Waterpark, Boise, Idaho

Press kit/media kit winners• Splash Kingdom Family Waterpark, Canton, Texas• Waterbom Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia• Hyland Hills Water World, Federal Heights, Colo.

Print media winners:

•CoCo Key Water Resort at Holiday Inn Convention Center,Omaha, Neb.•Mountain Creek Waterpark, Vernon, N.J.•Noah’s Ark Waterpark, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

Radio commercial winners:•Splash Kingdom Family Waterpark, Canton, Texas•Big Kahuna’s Waterpark, Destin, Fla.•Wild Wadi Waterpark, Dubai, U.A.E.

TV commercial winners:•Tundra Lodge & Waterpark, Green Bay, Wis.•Waterworld Waterpark, Ayia Napa, Cyprus•Hersheypark, Hershey, Penn.

Web site winners:•DryTown Waterpark, Palmdale, Calif.•Massanutten Waterpark, Massanutten, Va.•Kalahari Waterpark Resorts, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

SWIM! awards honoreesEmployee Retention & Rewards Programs honorees:•Magic Waters Waterpark, Rockford, Ill.

Employee Training Programs honorees:•CoCo Key Water Resorts, Arlington Heights, Ill.•Great Wolf Lodge-Grapevine, Grapevine, Texas•Magic Waters Waterpark, Rockford, Ill.•KeyLime Cove Water Resort, Gurnee, Ill.•Massanutten Waterpark, Massanutten, Va.•Splash Valley, Kankakee, Ill.•Whale’s Tale Waterpark, Lincoln, Neb.

Recruiting & Hiring Programs winners:•Magic Waters Waterpark, Rockford, Ill.

a world of attractions offering both relaxation and adventureincluding: the longest water-slides in Germany, the newIceXpress slide, Europe’s firstindoor surfing installation,an indoor wave pool and the

unique salt water ThermalSprings. • April 24 & 25, WWAreturns to Dubai, for the3rd Annual Middle EastSymposium presented inconjunction with The DubaiEntertainment Amusement& Leisure Show. The MiddleEast Symposium providesvital insight into this growingmarket and its unique issues,along with a first hand look behind-the-scenes of some ofthe world’s most elaborateand cutting edge attractions.

WWA Continued from page 19

WWA Chairman Chris Swartzhopes to increase member benefits,sees signs of economy recovery

Pam Sherborne Amusement Today

Inclement weather was a sig-nificant player for the 2009 seasonfor many of the World WaterparkA s s o c i a t i o n(WWA) mem-

bers. WWAC h a i r m a nChris Swartz,NRH2O FamilyWaterpark, saidhis park feltthese challeng-es right along-side many of his colleagues.

“Memorial Day weekendand the last two weeks of Julywere especially difficult for us,”Swartz said. “Overall, our atten-

dance was pretty flat and we sawour revenues off a few percentagepoints from 2008.” The economy also playeda significant role. Projects wereput on hold and guests werespending fewer dollars. But,Swartz, who entered his secondyear as chair during the WWAConvention and Trade Show inOctober, said he is seeing recov-ery ahead.

What do you think are themost significant challenges thewaterpark industry is facing? “The decrease in availablefinancing for new projects has

presented a challenge to theindustry. Because of the generalunease of the current state ofthe economy, I think parks froze

many existing projects — bothnew development and/or exist-ing facility capital expansion.

This has had an impact on theindustry as a whole. However,with the economy showing signsof recovering, this should changeand we should see some proj-ects that were previously on holdmoving forward.”

What do see as some of themore significant trends in theindustry? “I think the blending of theuse of technology within thewaterpark industry will continueto increase. We are already seeingproducts starting to be offeredthat have an on-park compo-nent that blends into an at-home

component via the Internet. Asin other industries, the use oftools such as Twitter, Facebook,YouTube, etc., are becoming morecommon. Our guests are alsocommunicating even more witheach other via these and othersites, so providing that positiveexperience becomes more impor-tant than ever because now withthe click of a mouse, guests canspeak to a worldwide audience.”

What has it meant to you toserve as the chair of the WWA?What do you hope to accomplishand what do you think you willgain?

“I think it is not too much ofa stretch to say that involvementwith the WWA has been one ofthe most important parts of my

career. I was fortunate enough toattend my first Symposium andTrade Show while still attending

college. Since that first experiencemany years ago, I have alwayslooked forward to all the oppor-tunities that membership andparticipating in the WWA hasprovided both the facilities forwhich I have worked and myselfpersonally. In fact, I have foundover the years that time investedin the association has resultedin greater returns making this avery worthwhile effort. “While serving as chairman,I hope to continue the traditionof our providing services to ourmembership that are relevantand provide real benefits. We arein the process of developing an

insurance program for our members. Coupled with the associa-tion’s first certification program,these two new initiatives, inconjunction with all of the othergreat programs and informa-tion the WWA already provides,really sets the WWA apart asthe premier association for thoseinvolved in the waterpark indus-try. “What I’ve gained so far isa deeper understanding of ourindustry and how it is really acommunity of worldwide mem-

bers. I have had the opportunityto meet with some of the bestminds in our industry. It has been

a pleasure for me to be able topick their brains on issues andtopics relating to the industry.”

Swartz

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SHOWContinued from page 19

WWA show sees strongInternational contingent

Representatives from 22countries including Argentina,Brazil, Bahrain, Kuwait,Germany and the UnitedArab Emirates explored thetrade show in search of new,

innovative products and ser-vices. “As an internationaldeveloper, I believe being atWWA is a healthy endeavor,”said Mohammed Khoursheed,Aqua Park/Al JazeraEntertainment Enterprises.“Learning about the newestproducts that improve thingslike water quality is impera-tive. Plus, [at the show] youget hands-on experience andyou get to share your ideaswith innovative suppliers andother operators.” Exhibitors provided showattendees with terrific offer-ings. The following companieswere awarded for their cre-ative and educational exhibits:

4See SHOW, page 26

AT PH

Clockwise from top left: Zebec’s Scott Snyder, far left, discusses his tube product with two customers; Aq

Development Group’s booth stayed busy with customer meetings; Whitewater’s Andrew Mellor shows off his mu

talents with their new AquaTunes; and SplashTacular Entertainment debuted this racer slide concept, SplashRally


24/40


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25/40


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26/40


SHOW Continued from page 23

•Best One - BoothCategory: Ideal SoftwareSolutions; •Best Two - BoothCategory: Salvin H2O Screen; •Best Four - BoothCategory: Aqua Kingdoms; •Best Six - Booth Category:

Water Technology, Inc.; and •Best of Show:SplashTacular Entertainment.

Education is a hallmark ofWWA show

The WWA Symposium& Trade Show is a once-a-year-opportunity for the glob-al waterpark community tocome together and learn fromand about each other. “Thispast year was a particularlychallenging one for our opera-tors and this year’s educa-tional program was designedto address those challenges

by offering new and innova-tive ideas and solutions,” saidAleatha Ezra, director of parkmember development, WorldWaterpark Association.

“The WWA’s S

Documents

At December 2010 Web